Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-02-23
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
THE GREAT DISASTER.
Railroad Commissioners
Investigation.
BROKEN RAILS The CAUSE.
Shall Stoves And Lamps
Be Abolished F?
A MYSTERY SOLVED.
Explosion of a Radiator Sets
a Car On Fire.
THE GREAT RAILROAD DISASTER.

investigation by the Railroad Conn
mIssIoners at White River Junction
Broken Rails-The Finding.
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Feb. 22.-The
railroad commissioners who have been inves-
tigating the recent disaster at the White
River bridge made their report public to-day.
In substance it is follows:
At point five hundred feet from the abut-
ment at the south end of the bridge while
the train was moving at a speed
of less than twelve miles an hour
the rear sleeper (Pilgrim) was thrown
from the rails, but kept to the road bed until
it came upon the bridge when the rear end
swung to the right side of the track to the
deck of the bridge and thence to thence to
the frozen river below, a distance of forty
three feet, drawing with it the sleeper and
the two coaches in front, all of which were
crushed in the wreck. Fire soon broke out
from the wreck, and within fifteen minutes
the cars were enveloped in flames.
At the time of the accident Conductor
Sturtevant appears to have been in the for
ward passenger car collecting fares and when
the first trouble was noticed he at once pull
ed the bell cord. Engineer Pierce immedi-
ately applied the brakes with full force. Then
looking back he saw the rear sleeper swing
ing off the bridge. He thereupon let
off the brakes, opened the throttle and
pulled away from the rest of the train.
saving portion of it. The proof is beyond
reasonable doubt that the train was slowed
up before the first derailment occurred and
that the train was run by its own momentum
when the bridge was reached. After debat-
ing the accommodations given the wounded
the report continues: A formal hearing was
begun on Feb. and forty-one witnesses
have been examined, including trainmen,
persons injured and expert mechanics. Two
rails were found broken about five hundred
feet from the south end of the bridge, the
outer spikes being bent down the heads
tornof and some of the inner spikes driven
into the ties. There were fange marks on
the ties and frozen earth and also in
of the ties and earth for several
rods before the bridge was reached.
The middle journal of the forward truck of
the sleeper Pilgrim was broken midway be-
tween the wheels, one wheel and portion of
the journal being found on the left side of
the bridge and the corresponding section and
wheel on the opposite side of the bridge.
The board announces it's conclusion as fol-
lows:
The running of the train was at safe
speed The actions of the engineer APP
proved and the conduct of the employees and
railroad officials after the accident is COM
mended. The board find that the derail-
ment and accident were caused by the break
ing of this rail or the next one beyond causing
the breaking of the journal of the sleeper
in some way unknown, but probably
from the throwing of portion
of the broken rails violently against it,
straining and swapping it in its frosty state
and thereupon the interior wheel of this
truck began to run irregularly and to crowd
out the inner rail of the curve and to abrase
and indent the left hand rail I'M
til coming to the bridge with
deep openings between the ties, the
in the rail which caused the deTailment was
of such character that it could not be de-
tected until disclosed by the breaking of the
| iron. There is no ground for doubt that many
car was thrown from the bridge to the right
| and those that went down to the front of ii
| were dropped of the bridge in succession by
| the strong Miller couplers that bound the cars
| together. The board finds that the defet
| who perish would have been released from
| the wreck alive had it not been for the stove
| fires and oil lamps which ignited the var
| nish, paints and draperies. The board
urges the adoption of steam heating anc
| recommends a conference of railroad men Il
| to discuss system that will protect passen
gers lives from danger of fire in case of acct
| dent.